The Race oj the Old King 221 



quick motion for so short a race, each day they trotted him one 

 hour. The manner of doing this was to place a rider on the Judge's 

 old bay and run him at full speed around a circle, the rider leading 

 the Old King, making him trot, giving him his most rapid stride. 



One evening while this was going on the Judge and the young law- 

 yers walked out upon the common. The Judge observed that one 

 horse was going at full speed around a circle, the other following 

 in the rear. He said, "What does that mean? They seem to be 

 going round." At length he said, "Gentlemen, I do believe he is 

 the old bay that the boy is riding in front." They had to admit the 

 fact to the Judge, and endeavor to make the necessary explanations. 

 He kindly remarked, "Now, boys, you may use the old bay mod- 

 erately to go to mill; but it's too bad to run him around a circle in 

 that way." They faithfully promised to comply with his request, 

 which was done. 



The training of the Old King went on satisfactorily. 



A few days before the race Guild and Peyton desired to test the 

 powers of their horse and to break him to go off at the word. The 

 only reliable test they had was to run the Old King against the 

 Judge's Pacolet horse. By great kindness he had been made gentle 

 to ride and they knew that the Judge would not consent for him to 

 be run with the Old King. They concluded that they would take them 

 out by the light of the moon and run them 600 yards. Guild rode 

 the Judge's horse and Peyton the Old King. Many were the false 

 starts. Guild would turn the Judge's Pacolet and rush by Peyton 

 on the Old King to get him to start rapidly. At length they got off 

 together. The whip and spur were freely used, and each horse was 

 fully up to his topmost speed; the result was that the Old King beat 

 the Pacolet some 40 yards. This fully convinced the young trainers 

 that they had an extraordinary race horse. They kept their own 

 secrets, pushed their credit to the utmost extension in raising funds, 

 and then borrowed several horses to bet on the race. They resolved 

 to make a spool or spoil a horn. 



The day before the race, which was to come off at Cairo, they 

 broke up their stable and with their baggage train slowly moved 

 upon the battle-field with all the circumstance and pomp of glorious 

 turf racing. They bivouaced upon the battle-field that night and 

 their thoughts were upon the morrow. 



Next morning, like the chieftains of old, they looked for omens 

 and signs in the heavens foretelling the result of the coming contest. 

 The approach of the great King of Day was looked for with deep 



